EVANSTON, Ill.—Researchers at Northwestern University developed new design principles for making photonic crystals like the ones typically used in computer, television, and smartphone screens.

“Most people look at a laptop display every day, but few people understand what they are made of and why,” George Schatz, professor of chemistry at Northwestern, said in a statement.
“One component of the display is the back-reflector, a mirror-like device that directs the light emitted by the LCD to the viewer,” he continued. “These reflectors are made using layered polymers that are much thicker and heavier than our crystals.”
The team’s unique approach not only replaces dull polymers with much fancier-sounding gold nanocrystals, but also spaces them apart, leaving more space for air to flow.

Researchers at Northwestern University developed new design principles for making photonic crystals like the ones typically used in computer, television, and smartphone screens.

“Most people look at a laptop display every day, but few people understand what they are made of and why,” George Schatz, professor of chemistry at Northwestern, said in a statement.
“One component of the display is the back-reflector, a mirror-like device that directs the light emitted by the LCD to the viewer,” he continued. “These reflectors are made using layered polymers that are much thicker and heavier than our crystals.”
The team’s unique approach not only replaces dull polymers with much fancier-sounding gold nanocrystals, but also spaces them apart, leaving more space for air to flow.